Relating consequential falls to individual and combinations of prescription medication use in Swedish older adults

PURPOSE: We assessed the relationship between prescription of medications (both individually and in combination) and consequential falls. METHODS: Medication prescription and prospectively registered falls over 2.5 years were extracted from 441 participants within a Swedish National Quality Register. Conditional generalized estimating equations, considering dependence of longitudinal data as a cluster to correct confidence intervals, were used to relate medications (individual and in combination) and falls. RESULTS: Regarding individual-medications, Angiotensin II receptor blockers and diuretics (C09DA) were significantly related to incidence of consequential falls (p = 0.022). Six drug combinations significantly related to fall incidence. Most frequently, falls were observed when platelet aggregation inhibitors (B01AC) were prescribed with C09DA, opioids (N02AA), or blood glucose lowering drugs (biguanides, A10BA). DISCUSSION: Caution should be taken when prescribing cardiovascular medications. Further, prescription of platelet aggregation inhibitors could increase the incidence of a negative outcome of a fall when prescribed in people at risk for falls.